THE JUTE PACKAGING MATERIALS (COMPULSORY USE IN PACKING 
COMMODITIES) ACT, 1987 
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ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
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SECTIONS 

1.  Short title, extent and commencement. 
2.  Definitions. 
3.  Power to specify commodities which are required to be packed in jute packaging material. 
4.  Constitution of Standing Advisory Committee. 
5.  Prohibition of packing in any material other than the jute packaging material. 
6.  Power to call for information and samples. 
7.  Power to enter and inspect. 
8.  Power to search and seize. 
9.  Penalty for contravention of section 5. 
10.  Penalty for false statement, etc. 
11.  Offences by companies. 
12.  Offences to be cognizable. 
13.  Power to delegate. 
14.  Central Government to give directions. 
15.  Protection of action taken in good faith. 
16.  Power to exempt. 
17.  Power to make rules. 

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THE JUTE PACKAGING MATERIALS (COMPULSORY USE IN PACKING 
COMMODITIES) ACT, 1987 

ACT NO. 10 OF 1987 

[9th May, 1987.]   

An  Act  to  provide  for  the  compulsory  use  of  jute  packaging  material  in  the  supply  and 
distribution  of  certain  commodities  in  the  interests  of  production  of  raw  jute  and  jute 
packaging  material,  and  of  persons  engaged  in  the  production  thereof,  and  for  matters 
connected therewith. 

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Thirty-eighth Year of the Republic of India as follows:— 

1.  Short  title,  extent  and  commencement.—(1)  This  Act  may  be  called  the  Jute  Packaging 

Materials (Compulsory Use in Packing Commodities) Act, 1987. 

(2) It extends to the whole of India. 
(3)  It  shall  come  into  force  of  such  date1  as  the  Central  Government  may,  by  notification  in  the 

Official Gazette, appoint. 

2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— 

(a) “commodity” means— 

(i) any essential commodity; 

(ii) any article manufactured or produced by any scheduled industry; 

(b)  “essential  commodity”  shall  have  the  same  meaning  as  in  the  Essential  Commodities  Act, 

1955 (10 of 1955); 

(c) “jute packaging material” means jute, jute yarn, jute twine, jute sacking cloth, hessian cloth, 
jute bags or any other packaging material containing not less than seventy-five per cent., by weight, 
of jute; 

(d)  “scheduled  industry”  shall  have  the  same  meaning  as  in  the  Industries  (Development  and 

Regulation) Act, 1951 (65 of 1951); 

(e) “Standing Advisory Committee” means the Standing Advisory Committee  constituted under 

section 4. 

3.  Power  to  specify  commodities  which  are  required  to  be  packed  in  jute  packaging          

material.—(1)  Notwithstanding  anything  contained  in  any  other  law  for  the  time  being  in  force,  the 
Central  Government  may,  if  it  is  satisfied,  after  considering  the  recommendations  made  to  it  by  the 
Standing Advisory Committee, that it is necessary so to do in the interests of production of raw jute and 
jute  packaging  material,  and  of  persons  engaged  in  the  production  thereof,  by  order  published  in  the 
Official  Gazette,  direct,  from  time  to  time,  that  such  commodity  or  class  of  commodities  or  such 
percentage thereof, as may be specified in the order, shall, on and from such date, as may be specified in 
the order, be packed for the purposes of its supply or distribution in such jute packaging material as may 
be specified in the order: 

Provided that until such time as the Standing Advisory Committee is constituted under section 4, the 
Central Government shall, before making any order under this sub-section, consider the matters specified 
in  sub-section  (2)  of  section  4,  and  any  order  so  made  shall  cease  to  operate  at  the  expiration  of  three 
months from the date on which the Standing Advisory Committee makes its recommendations. 

1. 14th May, 1987, vide notification No. S.O. 467(E), dated 14th May, 1987, see Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, 

sec. 3(ii). 

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(2) Every order made under sub-section (1) shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before 
each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised 
in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately 
following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification 
in the order or both Houses agree that the order should not be made, the order shall thereafter have effect 
only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification 
or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that order. 

4. Constitution of Standing Advisory Committee.—(1) The Central Government shall, with a view 
to  determining  the  commodity  or  class  of  commodities  or  percentages  thereof  in  respect  of  which  jute 
packaging material shall be used in their packing, constitute a Standing Advisory Committee consisting of 
such  persons  as  have,  in  the  opinion  of  that  Government,  the  necessary  expertise  to  give  advice  in  the 
matter. 

(2)  The  Standing  Advisory  Committee  shall,  after  considering  the  following  matters,  indicate  its 

recommendations to the Central Government, namely:— 

(a) the existing level of usage of jute material; 

(b) the quantity of raw jute available; 

(c) the quantity of jute material available; 

(d) the protection of interests of persons engaged in the jute industry and in the production of raw 

jute; 

(e) the need for continued maintenance of jute industry; 

(f) the quantity of commodities which, in its opinion, is likely to be required for packing in jute 

material; 

(g) such other matters as the Standing Advisory Committee may think fit. 

5.  Prohibition  of  packing  in  any  material  other  than  the  jute  packaging  material.—Where  an 
order has been made under section 3 requiring any commodity, class of commodities or any percentage 
thereof to be packed in jute packaging material for their supply or distribution, such commodity, class of 
commodities or percentage thereof shall not, on and from the date specified in such order, be supplied or 
distributed unless the same is packed in accordance with that order: 

Provided that nothing in this section shall apply to the supply or distribution of any commodity, class 
of commodities or percentage thereof for a period of three months from the aforesaid date if immediately 
before that date such commodity, class of commodities or percentage thereof, were being packed in any 
material other than jute packing material. 

6.  Power  to  call  for  information  and  samples.—The  Central  Government  may,  by  order,  require 
any person, who is required to use jute packaging material for packing under section 5, to furnish, for the 
purposes of this Act,— 

(a) such information in his possession, with respect to any commodity or class of commodities or 
percentage  thereof  which  requires  such  packing,  to  any  officer  specified  by  it,  in  such  form  and 
within such period as may be specified by that Government in the order; 

(b)  such  samples  of  jute  packaging  material  for  inspection  by  such  officer  at  such  places  and 

within such period as may be specified by it in the order. 

7.  Power  to  enter  and  inspect.—Any  officer  authorised  by  the  Central  Government  (hereinafter 
referred  to  as  the  authorised  officer)  may  enter,  at  all  reasonable  times,  any  place,  premises  or  vehicle 
where any commodity packed in jute packaging material is stored or kept for supply or distribution, and 
may require its production for inspection and ask for any information relating thereto. 

8. Power to search and seize.—(1) The authorised officer may, if he has reason to believe that any 
commodity  has  been  packed  in  contravention  of  section  5  and  is  secreted  in  any  place,  premises  or 
vehicle, enter into and search such place, premises or vehicle for such commodity. 

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(2)  Where,  as  a  result  of  any  search  made  under  sub-section  (1),  any  commodity  packed  in 
contravention  of  section  5  has  been  found,  the  authorised  officer  may  seize  such  commodity  and  any 
other thing which, in his opinion, will be useful for, or relevant to, any proceeding under this Act: 

Provided that where it is not practicable to seize any such commodity or thing, the authorised officer 
may  serve  on  the  person  an  order  that  he  shall  not  remove,  part  with,  or  otherwise  deal  with,  the 
commodity or thing except with the previous permission of the authorised officer. 

(3)  The  provisions  of  the  Code  of  Criminal  Procedure,  1973  (2  of  1974),  relating  to  searches  and 

seizures shall, so far as may be, apply to every search or seizure made under this section. 

9. Penalty for contravention of section 5.—Whoever packs any commodity, class of commodities 
or  any  percentage  thereof  in  any  material  in  contravention  of  section  5  shall  be  punishable  with  fine 
which may extend to an amount equal to double the cost of the jute packaging material which should have 
been used in accordance with the order made under section 3. 

10. Penalty for false statement, etc.—If any person, when required by any order made under section 
6  to  furnish  any  information  or  sample,  fails  to  furnish  such  information  or  sample,  or  makes  any 
statement or furnishes any information which is false in any material particular and which he knows, or 
has reasonable cause to believe, to be false or does not believe it to be true, he shall be punishable with 
fine which may extend to five thousand rupees. 

11.  Offences  by  companies.—(1)  Where  an  offence  under  this  Act  has  been  committed  by  a 
company,  every  person  who,  at  the  time  the  offence  was  committed,  was  in  charge,  of,  and  was 
responsible to, the company for the conduct of the business of the company, as well as the company, shall 
be  deemed  to  be  guilty  of  the  offence  and  shall  be  liable  to  be  proceeded  against  and  punished 
accordingly: 

Provided  that  nothing  contained  in  this  sub-section  shall  render  any  such  person  liable  to  any 
punishment provided in this Act, if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or 
that he had exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence. 

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in this sub-section (1), where an offence under this Act has 
been committed by a company and it is proved that the offence has been committed with the consent or 
connivance of, or is attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other 
officer  of  the  company,  such  director,  manager,  secretary  or  other  officer  shall  also  be  deemed  to  be 
guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly. 

Explanation.—For the purposes of this section,— 

(a) “company” means any body corporate and includes a firm or other association of individuals; 

and 

(b) “director”, in relation to a firm, means a partner in the firm. 

12.  Offences  to  be  cognizable.—Notwithstanding  anything  contained  in  the  Code  of  Criminal 

Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), every offence punishable under this Act shall be cognizable. 

13. Power to delegate.—The Central Government may, by order published in the Official Gazette, 
direct  that  the  powers  exercisable  by  it  under  any  provision  of  this  Act,  other  than  the  power  to  make 
orders  under section  3  or under section  16  or  to  make  rules under  section  17, shall, in  relation  to  such 
matters and subject to such conditions, if any, as may be specified in the order, be exercisable also by— 

(a) such officer or authority subordinate to the Central Government; or 

(b) such State Government or such officer or authority subordinate to a State Government, 

as may be specified in the order. 

14. Central Government to give directions.—The Central Government may give such directions as 
it may consider necessary to a State Government as to the carrying into execution of the provisions of this 
Act. 

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15. Protection of action taken in good faith.—No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall 
lie  against  the  Central  Government,  State  Government  or  any  officer  or  employee  of  the  Central 
Government  or  of  any  State  Government  or  any  authorised  officer  for  anything  which  is  in  good  faith 
done or intended to be done under this Act or any rule or order made thereunder. 

16.  Power  to  exempt.—(1)  If  the  Central  Government  is  of  the  opinion  that  it  is  necessary  or 
expedient so to do in the public interest, it may, by order published in the Official Gazette, exempt any 
person  or  class of  persons,  supplying  or distributing  any  commodity  or  class  of  commodities,  from  the 
operation of an order made under section 3. 

(2) Every order made under sub-section (1) shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made,  before 
each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised 
in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately 
following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification 
in the order or both Houses agree that the order should not be made, the order shall thereafter have effect 
only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification 
or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that order. 

17. Power to make rules.—(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, 

make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act. 

(2) Every rule made by the Central Government under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it 
is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which 
may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the 
session  immediately  following  the  session  or  the  successive  sessions  aforesaid,  both  Houses  agree  in 
making any modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall 
thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that 
any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done 
under that rule. 

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